I was volunteering at a local school the other day when another mom approached me and said “you are ALWAYS here!” Yes, it seems that way doesn’t it? I replied. “It’s so much work, why do you do it?” she asked.  I love it, I replied.

I wasn’t lying, I do.  Sure, it is hard work and many hours are devoted to meetings, class parties and fundraising events, but in the end, I made a child smile, helped make an overworked teacher’s day a little better and raised funds so that Orland students can participate in activities to further their education, and it is empowering to know that I had a hand in that.

The next time you visit your child’s school, look around the classrooms.  See those projectors and smart boards?  There is a very good chance that the school’s PFE (Parents for Education) purchased them.

Although most of the technology has been paid for by the district with our tax dollars, the PFE has spent many thousands of dollars district-wide to provide these much-needed teaching tools in order to make sure that our children have every opportunity to learn available.

You know that book fair that you are asked to come to and purchase books?  Well, the money earned from the book fair is used solely to purchase books for the school’s Media Center.  Chances are that the books that your child brings home from the library are provided due to the hard work of local parents who donate their valuable time to run fundraisers such as these.

While the fundraising and activities are a large part of what the PFE here in Orland Park does, they also try their best to keep the parents informed as to what is happening within the district as well.  This has been very important during recent months when teacher contracts were not settled and the school board was making huge administrative changes within the district.

One hour spent at a local PFE meeting could have provided direct answers to your many questions about what was going on as far as Administration changes and funding.

A huge portion of our tax dollars go towards funding the school districts and we should pay close attention to decisions being made that directly affect our children and their education.  School board meetings are held once a month in the evening and are listed on the Orland135 website.  Meetings are open to all and every taxpayer should pay close attention to the decisions that are being made.

If you have a couple of hours this school year, I highly recommend calling or emailing your school’s PFE volunteer coordinator and devoting some time to benefit the kids at your child’s school.  It is a great opportunity to meet other parents, get a better idea of what happens at school and most importantly, make a positive impact in the community.